How to get DP to stop rinsing after brushing teeth?!

[NewYearNewUserNameForMe]

I know I have no jurisdiction over DP's face, mouth and oral hygiene habits

But DP rinses out his mouth a lot after brushing his teeth every time. Twice a day, copious amounts of water. A few years ago, the dentist told me and DP that rinsing wasn't good at all. I stopped. DP just carried on.

His teeth are going yellow and they've got weird brown lines on them. I've no idea if its connected to rinsing but surely rinsing isn't helping things?

I tell him occasionally he shouldn't rinse but he either bats my comment away because I'm not a dentist (fair play), tells me to stop policing him (dramatic but fair play), or comes up with some excuse as to why he has to rinse that particular time (bullshit because he does it every bloody time).

So I went for the kill. One day when he complained that his teeth were yellow I said it was because he rinses after brushing. He had a huff, carried on rinsing and said he didn't actually care about how he looks anyway.

I may be blowing it out of proportion but I really worry about this and what it'll mean for his dental health long term.

I've no idea why I'm posting this, it's playing on my mind.

Try oranurse toothpaste as it has no flavour or foam

Do you order that online, dementedpixie?

£14 for a tube of toothpaste is not tempting.
I bet Sainsbury's don't stock it.

www.weldricks.co.uk/products/oranurse-unflavoured-toothpaste-50ml its £1.99 here

I'm a dentist and agree with MrsMorton its not just a MN thing though, everyone always has an excuse for why they need fillings/have gum disease

Pregnancy fucked up their teeth/it's genetic /weak teeth whatever. Dental disease is in 99% of cases preventable

Not rinsing is literally one of the absolute most basic things you could do to protect your teeth. It takes no time, requires 0 effort. Yet still people don't want to do it

I think it's all very well to say if I lose a tooth so be it. But most of the time it's not just going to be one tooth, it'll end up being 3/4, it could be all of them. It could be a back molar but equally it could be a front tooth. I spend all day telling people that actually no they aren't getting an implant they are having a denture, and that's their only option. No they can't eat steak/crusty bread/apples ever again. Yes this lump of plastic in your mouth is annoying. And almost everyone at the point says "I wish I'd looked after my teeth when I was younger"

I think everyone who is blasé about their dental hygiene should have to tell someone that they are losing their front teeth, then sit through the extraction and actually watch someomes self confidence fall as you replace their teeth with an NHS plastic immediate denture. It's horrible.

Fluoride does work better if you don't rinse; however, fluoride is also a poison and although the amounts in toothpaste are unlikely to do harm if just used to brush and then rinse out afterwards, I don't fancy having it in my mouth and eating it all night every night. So YABU.

Oh.
Tell me more @Juicy2020

@MiniMum97 what research exists that says that fluoride on your teeth will poison you?

@Mrsmorton and @Orangeshark are right. Some of the excuses on this thread are ridiculous.

There is a lot of tinfoil hat nonsense on here, I agree, @ActualHornist.

I didn't say fluoride on your teeth will poison you.

I said it's a poison (toxin is probably a better word) and I personally don't leave it on my teeth as I personally don't fancy swallowing it all day everyday.

I am happy to use it on my teeth and rinse but would be concerned about the amounts I was consuming if left on my teeth.

Here's a couple of references I've found fro MN a quick look on google. I researched it for ages a while back and found many more studies but I don't still have details if all those. My conclusion after weighing up the evidence was that I was happy using it in my toothpaste and rinsing but I wouldn't want it added to my water for example.

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154164.php#takeaway

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5651468/

Surely it depends on what your dentist tells you, which depends on where you live and what your dental routine should be?
Why doesn't he ask his dentist?

@Mrsmorton and @Orangeshark are right. Some of the excuses on this thread are ridiculous

They're not excuses, as it would be quicker and easier not to rinse!

They're opinions and practices based on what we think is right to do, no matter how much you disagree. I fully respect and follow 99% of your (and my dentist's) advice with regards to my teeth, but I will also respectfully continue to disregard that one piece of advice because I just don't want to swallow continuous amounts of flouride and other chemicals. This advice is even given on my toothpaste tube!
Also, in Ireland, where I live, our water is flouridated. That's fine, but enough for anyone.

All rinsing does is clean the toothpaste from his mouth, meaning that the fluoride in the toothpaste (if you use one with it in) doesn't get a chance ti sit on his teeth for a bit, and so he will get no benefit from it.

Most dentist would probably advocate not rinsing, but not to the degree you are.

One day when he complained that his teeth were yellow I said it was because he rinses after brushing
Rinsing won't cause yellowing or brown marks. So you should apologise for being wrong. And yes, you are policing him.

because I just don't want to swallow continuous amounts of flouride and other chemicals You don't have to swallow it though. Spit out the excess, and don't rinse.

My sister has very bad teeth. The dentist told her to dry brush her teeth and smear the toothpaste onto her teeth after that and leave it there.

He prescribed her high fluoride toothpaste too.

It must be safe to swallow etc

I went to the dentist this week and there was a big sign on the wall about not rinsing after brushing - as the OP said, you’re supposed to leave the toothpaste residue in your mouth to do it’s thing. You’re also supposed to wait 45 minutes to an hour after eating before brushing to let the enamel harden again. DH and I always do this and again, there was a big sign up about it in the dentist waiting room.

I've literally never heard or seen 'don't rinse' before this thread. Including at the dentist.

So I, and others who sound like they're in a similar position, aren't 'making excuses'. We didn't know.

don't fancy having it in my mouth and eating it all night every night
personally don't fancy swallowing it all day everyday

How much toothpaste do you use where you think that would happen?

I can't not rinse. It feels awful. My dentist is perfectly happy with the state of my teeth.

For those unable to go cold turkey, as an interim measure my DH was told to wet his toothbrush after brushing, spit out and then just suck the little bit of water from the toothbrush and spit again. After a week or so you get used to it and can stop with the wet toothbrush.

@Palavah

I don't blame you. Since our baby started needing her teeth brushed we've used toothbrushing videos on YouTube- practically all of them tell you to rinse at the end, especially the American ones. It's a very common thing.

Well @palavah and @becausereasons now you know what the best advice is, up to you to take it or leave it. Hopefully those of you with an influence over children will take it.

@Mrsmorton I already knew and have done for decades, thanks. I was saying that I understand the confusion because the advice to rinse is so prevalent.

That's why you only use a smear of toothpaste for under 3s. It's to minimise swallowing. We have Childsmile in Scotland. The website has lots of info about tooth brushing in babies/children

www.child-smile.org.uk/parents-and-carers/toothbrushing/index.aspx

I have not seen advice to rinse. Is the water in the USA fluoridated?

I put mine in the dishwasher overnight with a couple of steradent. Then I pop them back in the morning when I’m putting the dishes away.